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Question: Can you do an update on the closure of the Piikoi Street eastbound freeway entrance? Is it permanent or just temporary? I really miss that freeway entrance.
Answer: Temporary, at this point. The onramp is to reopen late Saturday night (by 11:59 p.m.), after being closed since April 17 for maintenance and so the state Department of Transportation could study how the closure affects traffic, said Tim Sakahara, a DOT spokesman.
During the closure, the department has been monitoring area traffic on the H-1 freeway eastbound and on surrounding surface streets. It will use the results of those traffic counts, as well as feedback from the public, to decide whether it should close the onramp permanently, Sakahara said Wednesday.
That decision will not be made right away, he said, adding that the traffic studies won’t be fully analyzed until after the demonstration project ends. The public still has time to weigh in, by emailing the DOT public affairs office at dotpao@hawaii.gov or calling 587-2160. Please keep your comments as specific and succinct as possible.
The DOT expected the closure to ease eastbound traffic on the freeway there, and it has, Sakahara said, citing preliminary data. But the department must determine whether any improvement is big enough to justify upgrading alternative routes, according to a DOT news release.
Kokua Line has received numerous queries and comments about this traffic experiment. Some readers hailed the closure for relieving freeway congestion at a choke point, because vehicles entering eastbound at Piikoi Street must merge left across two lanes of traffic just as vehicles planning to exit at the Punahou Street offramp ahead are merging right. But critics said the closure worsened traffic on already crowded surface roads, including one reader who urged the state and city transportation departments to work together to help commuters, saying:
“It seems like there is no thoughtful consideration of eastbound drivers between the two agencies. The state Piikoi closure makes eastbound drivers from downtown use the Ward Avenue or University Avenue onramps. To get to the Ward onramp, drivers must endure an uphill, two-lane congested nightmare. To get to the University onramp, drivers must slog through South and King streets, both of which just lost lanes for city bike paths. It takes three light changes or more to advance through a single intersection on each street in the afternoon rush hour. Forcing urban drivers to pothole-ridden surface streets does not seem to be a reasoned ‘experiment’ to help the traffic situation. Going Ewa to enter the freeway via Alakea Street and Vineyard Boulevard is likewise torturous. Is it possible for the state and city to coordinate and consider extending the mauka-bound lane of Punchbowl Street to Ala Moana Boulevard? It seems only fair to add another route to the eastbound H1 before taking one away.”
Golf survey
The city government wants feedback about Oahu’s municipal golf courses. A survey posted at 808ne.ws/golfquest asks golfers to rate conditions at their usual course, plus grade the pace of play, tee-time reservation system, customer service and other aspects of the experience. One question asks whether golfers would be willing to pay more to book rounds further than a week in advance, while another gauges support for adding online reservations.
Mahalo
Mahalo to those responsible for taking out the trees that were tearing up the sidewalk on Hobron Lane, in front of the Food Pantry. I am only sad that they left one, in front of The Eaton Square. I love trees as much as anyone, but that is a small sidewalk and for years has been difficult to use when people are carrying large bags or wheelchairs and mobility scooters are being used. — M.P.
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